Automatic directional control system for vehicle headlights

Abstract

A structure and method for operating a directional control system for vehicle headlights that is capable of altering the directional aiming angles of the headlights to account for changes in the operating conditions of the vehicle. One or more operating condition sensors may be provided that generate signals that are representative of a condition of the vehicle, such as road speed, steering angle, pitch, suspension height, rate of change of road speed, rate of change of steering angle, rate of change of pitch, and rate of change of suspension height of the vehicle. A controller is responsive to the sensor signal for generating an output signal. An actuator is adapted to be connected to the headlight to effect movement thereof in accordance with the output signal. The controller can include a table that relates values of sensed operating condition to values of the output signal. The controller is responsive to the sensor signal for looking up the output signal in the table.

1. An automatic directional control system for a vehicle headlight comprising:
 a sensor that is adapted to generate a signal that is representative of a condition of the vehicle, said sensed condition includes one or more of road speed, steering angle, pitch, and suspension height of the vehicle; 
 a controller that is responsive to said sensor signal for generating an output signal only when said sensor signal changes by more than a predetermined minimum threshold amount to prevent said actuator from being operated continuously or unduly frequently in response to relatively small variations in the sensed operating condition; and 
 an actuator that is adapted to be connected to the headlight to effect movement thereof in accordance with said output signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The automatic directional control system defined in  claim 1  wherein said sensor generates a signal that is representative of the road speed of the vehicle. 
     
     
       3. The automatic directional control system defined in  claim 1  wherein said sensor generates a signal that is representative of the steering angle of the vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The automatic directional control system defined in  claim 1  wherein said sensor generates a signal that is representative of the pitch of the vehicle. 
     
     
       5. The automatic directional control system defined in  claim 1  wherein said sensor generates a signal that is representative of the suspension height of the vehicle.